2025 CFL schedule

[don corleone]

-34 this morning in NW Ontario for those of you who have forgotten why you chose to live in Vancouver. The sun makes up for it but it is crisp.

Following up on the schedule discussion I see Toronto and Montreal only have 1 back to back series each so Winnipeg getting 4 is quite an advantage with so little time between games to introduce anything new. I can't imagine the argument for having to play the same team on consecutive weeks and not something the fans are demanding imo.

Conspiracy theory #6; Strong teams have tougher schedules in terms of travel and turnaround. Funny how Winnipeg went from playing all East teams in previous years to starting their first 8 against west teams. Appears they feel they can get a good start at the expense of the Lions. I've already made my mind up to take BC and am just waiting for the spread.

Replying to Hambone re the Labour Day matchups; I think the Riders playing Winnipeg in week 3 and 18 would sell out just as quickly as the current scenario. Also think the few times each year when they play on a Monday screws the schedule up as much as anything else for no good reason.

[B.C.FAN]

The Lions have just announced that their home preseason game on Victoria Day, Monday May 19, will be played at Starlight Stadium in Langford rather than B.C. Place. That rules me out. I was already dreading fighting long weekend traffic from Kamloops to Vancouver for a 1 p.m. kickoff on the holiday Monday. I'll happily give up my tickets so that someone on the Island can go. Rather than offering season ticket holders an account credit if they opted out, as the Lions did last year, they're offering bonus tickets to a 2025 regular season game at BC Place.

[Hambone]

I was hoping for a credit as I definitely would not be making the trek to Langford for a preseason game. I already have to make 1 trip to the island for a wedding June 7 and have an invite for another on May 24 that I'll likely have to decline due to travel costs. A credit would offset the loss for not being able to attend the home opener. As the holder of a single season ticket I'd only get a single bonus ticket. The email says I'll be sent a link "in the coming weeks" to select which game. Hopefully "coming weeks" includes into the regular season because it wouldn't be until then that I might know what my Surrey buddy's schedule is. Now that he's retired he spends half of the summer and fall camping and travelling away from Vancouver. He usually doesn't have most of that schedule figured out until June and even then it's fluid. He only made 2 games last year as a result. We could probably make some sort of arrangement to buy a ticket to go with the bonus ticket unless we luck out and the seat beside me that he isn't renewing doesn't get picked up by somebody else.

[SammyGreene]

The Lions have just announced that their home preseason game on Victoria Day, Monday May 19, will be played at Starlight Stadium in Langford rather than B.C. Place. That rules me out. I was already dreading fighting long weekend traffic from Kamloops to Vancouver for a 1 p.m. kickoff on the holiday Monday. I'll happily give up my tickets so that someone on the Island can go. Rather than offering season ticket holders an account credit if they opted out, as the Lions did last year, they're offering bonus tickets to a 2025 regular season game at BC Place.

Good that the 9 game regular season home schedule at BC Place stays intact from a gate revenue perspective.
Wonder how much the Lions will invest in this game. Add more seats (Starlight holds about 6,000)? Can’t see as many season ticket holders going over for a pre-season game.
Do their annual Fanfest in Victoria?

[don corleone]

So training camp in Kamloops and over to the Island for the preseason home game and then back to Kamloops. That is asking a lot from any fan.

What would be nice is dropping the exhibition game from the season ticket package and having $10 walk up seats for the one exhibition game they host. Over time some of the $10 seats will turn into seasons tickets. Plant enough seeds and some will grow.

[B.C.FAN]

So training camp in Kamloops and over to the Island for the preseason home game and then back to Kamloops. That is asking a lot from any fan.

What would be nice is dropping the exhibition game from the season ticket package and having $10 walk up seats for the one exhibition game they host. Over time some of the $10 seats will turn into seasons tickets. Plant enough seeds and some will grow.

Unlike recent years, the home game this year is the first of the preseason, which means lots of rookie starters and few vets. The second preseason game in Edmonton on May 30 will likely be better. I'll be in Alberta that week and will miss the final days of camp in Kamloops but I plan to be in Edmonton for the game.

[Hambone]

Good that the 9 game regular season home schedule at BC Place stays intact from a gate revenue perspective.
Wonder how much the Lions will invest in this game. Add more seats (Starlight holds about 6,000)? Can’t see as many season ticket holders going over for a pre-season game.
Do their annual Fanfest in Victoria?

I've never been to Starlight but have viewed it with Google Earth many times. There is little to no room to add more than maybe a few hundred to maybe 1000 seats without going to great costs. It's surrounded by permanent structures and stands on the south side and east and west end zones and by the Langford Parkway on the north side. Parking within a kilometer of the stadium is in short supply. Lawrence aka Solar Max happened to be in Kamloops last year and popped into training camp for a session. He's lived in Victoria for many years. He says it's a royal traffic and parking pain attending any event at Starlight.

Maybe they could do a Fanfest-lite in Victoria but not the full blown version. Typical road preseason travel is to have a walk-thru practice morning before the game then charter out that afternoon. Next day they play the game then charter back to Kamloops post game to get ready for a practice next morning. With Fanfest in Kamloops last year they had a full practice day before Fanfest then made a full day of Fanfest the following day; Play With the Pros 9am-10am, controlled scrimmage 1:30-3:15pm then adjourned to downtown Kamloops for the street festival 3:30-7:30pm. Then back on the field for a walk-thru Sunday morning. Of course in Kamloops all players and staff are there allowing for all hands on deck participation. In Victoria they'd only have players they intend on playing.

Another aspect for Lions ST holders not from the island is the game is set for 1pm on Monday of Victoria Day Weekend. Can you say oh what fun trying to get back to the Mainland?

[B.C.FAN]

FanFest plans haven't been finalized but the Lions have suggested it would most likely be on the long weekend, so it might be held in conjunction with the preseason game, perhaps the day before. Most vets don't travel for the first preseason game, so autograph hounds might be disappointed.

[Hambone]

FanFest plans haven't been finalized but the Lions have suggested it would most likely be on the long weekend, so it might be held in conjunction with the preseason game, perhaps the day before. Most vets don't travel for the first preseason game, so autograph hounds might be disappointed.

I covered my bases and booked a room for both weekends.

Long weekend makes sense. Full practice Friday, scrimmage and Fanfest Saturday, walk-thru Sunday followed by team contingent flying to Victoria for ex-game Monday. They typically hold a walk-thru day after Fanfest as well as on the travel day to a road preseason game. Sort of killing 2 birds with one stone.

[B.C.FAN]

Lions president Duane Vienneau and Nathan Rourke both spoke at the Lions’ press conference in Langford today, and Vienneau guaranteed that Rourke will play in the preseason game.

[don corleone]

Here's some bulletin board material and motivation for the Lions heading into the year.

https://3downnation.com/2025/02/17/3dow ... en-podium/

8th is too low imo. I have the West in almost reverse order with Calgary, BC. Sask, Edm and Wpg.

East is a dogfight. Could see a crossover.

[SammyGreene]

Here's some bulletin board material and motivation for the Lions heading into the year.

https://3downnation.com/2025/02/17/3dow ... en-podium/

8th is too low imo. I have the West in almost reverse order with Calgary, BC. Sask, Edm and Wpg.

East is a dogfight. Could see a crossover.

Not a huge surprise to see the Lions ranked so low. The bulk of their cash in FA was spent on re-signing their own key guys (Rourke, McInnis and Betts) when they ended the season as a reeling .500 team.
Of their top paid players only McInnis is coming off a big season. They need Rourke returning to his 2022 form and both Betts and Hatcher return to their 2023 forms for this team to be a major factor again.

And the biggest thing is basically entirely new coaching staff making a significant impact. All these things could very well happen but lots of question marks for the Lions as of now.

[don corleone]

Not a huge surprise to see the Lions ranked so low. The bulk of their cash in FA was spent on re-signing their own key guys (Rourke, McInnis and Betts) when they ended the season as a reeling .500 team.
Of their top paid players only McInnis is coming off a big season. They need Rourke returning to his 2022 form and both Betts and Hatcher return to their 2023 forms for this team to be a major factor again.

And the biggest thing is basically entirely new coaching staff making a significant impact. All these things could very well happen but lots of question marks for the Lions as of now.

Won't argue the Lions second half of last year was nothing to write home about although there was lots going on at the time. Everyone is hoping for Buck to be the answer. The roster may need some tweaking yet but I feel they have a good chance to win the first game against Edmonton. Won't say must win but home opener is nice to start the season on a positive note. No doubt there will be a concert involved.

Looks like I am one of the few to be giving Calgary any love so far and continue to like how they recruit fresh talent. Appears they are excited about Marquel Lee as their potential new middle linebacker. I think they will surprise and also like Dave Dickenson as an underdog. Looking forward to seeing VA in red.

[Hambone]

Looks like I am one of the few to be giving Calgary any love so far and continue to like how they recruit fresh talent. Appears they are excited about Marquel Lee as their potential new middle linebacker. I think they will surprise and also like Dave Dickenson as an underdog. Looking forward to seeing VA in red.

I'm from Missouri on Calgary. Question marks are everywhere.

They made a huge upgrade at QB but currently have the CFL's weakest depth behind him with PJ Walker who has yet to take a 3 down snap and Logan Bonner he of a 5 INT debut as a starter. The two combined for 1 career start and 50 pass attempts.

They look solid at receiver and RB, but not spectacular. They may have improved at receiver. On the OL gone is perennial All-Star Sean McEwen to I'm guessing be replaced by Rodeem Brown.

The biggest question marks are on the defensive side of the ball where Mike Rose, James Vaughters, Julian Howsare, Cam Judge, Micah Awe, Demerio Houston, Kobe Williams, Branden Dozier and Tre Roberson are among those not returning. That's 8 regular starters who made up 147 out of 216 defensive starts. They also represent 9.of their top 12 tackles and recorded 11 of their 15 INTs and 18 of their 32 sacks. Orimolade and Webb are great additions. Do Orimolade and Miles Brown replace Rose, Vaughters and Howsare? Do Sopik, Lee, Gary Johnson and an aging and slowing Derrick Moncrief replace Judge, Awe and Dozier? Do Webb and Adrian Greene replace Houston, Williams and Roberson? They better have more than Lee, who played only 3 games last year, ready to step up and be prominent contributor and starters because on paper the defense is not looking nearly as solid as last year.

They also need to find a new punter and kick returner having lost Cody Grace and the always handy Peyton Logan.

[Hambone]

The ex-game in Langford sold out in a matter of minutes. I wonder how many Lions season ticket holders decided to keep their tickets and how many declined.

https://3downnation.com/2025/03/11/that ... 5-minutes/